first time at the track!!
12-11-2011, 09:03 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
first time at the track!!
and i had a blast!!!...this was at the homestead track in south florida...was extremely fun!!!...and concerned now because this can become extremely addicting and expensive 
one thing id like to note....so, i have a stock 09' z51...only thing that ive done to it is lowered on stock bolts and removal of NPP fuse...by the second session, the instructor was telling me that im doing every good and it seems like im a natural at it (BS or not, very encouraging)...keeping the lines, hitting the apex's...in fact, told me to slow down on one of the turns because he could feel my car sliding a little and that my tires probably couldnt handle pushing more then what i was pushing in that turn (firehawks wide ovals, just a replacement for the stock goodyears)...
what i noticed were two things...i cant help but feel like i felt a little bit of body roll in some of the turns...so it felt like the suspension wasnt tight enough for it....and secondly i almost felt like the brakes werent enough...i found myself starting to brake a little before the 300foot mark at times and by the time i had downshifted and at the end of the braking (hard braking at this point), i really felt like at times the brakes would give in...
are these two things anything to be concerned with?...i mean i am all for tracking the car stock to get the best out of it..i felt yesterdays session was amazing to get a good feel for my car to begin with...only time i was ever passed was by a lamborghini, one m3, and my friends z06...all others i either trailed or passed...
id like to think i did fairly decent...but i prolly did crappy...my time was a 1:51 (instructor timed it with his stopwatch)...he was there practicing in his heavily modded m3 for a race next week (his times were down to 1:28)...
either way, i had a BLAST!!!
------
edit
one last item i forgot to mention...my oil temps...they went up to around 250-260...one one session it went up to 272....i figured it was high but i also noticed in that session i was shifting to 4th closer to redline...so in the other sessions i was shifting at around 5k or so and temps stayed around the 250-260 range...is this normal or should i be considered with the high temps?
one thing id like to note....so, i have a stock 09' z51...only thing that ive done to it is lowered on stock bolts and removal of NPP fuse...by the second session, the instructor was telling me that im doing every good and it seems like im a natural at it (BS or not, very encouraging)...keeping the lines, hitting the apex's...in fact, told me to slow down on one of the turns because he could feel my car sliding a little and that my tires probably couldnt handle pushing more then what i was pushing in that turn (firehawks wide ovals, just a replacement for the stock goodyears)...
what i noticed were two things...i cant help but feel like i felt a little bit of body roll in some of the turns...so it felt like the suspension wasnt tight enough for it....and secondly i almost felt like the brakes werent enough...i found myself starting to brake a little before the 300foot mark at times and by the time i had downshifted and at the end of the braking (hard braking at this point), i really felt like at times the brakes would give in...
are these two things anything to be concerned with?...i mean i am all for tracking the car stock to get the best out of it..i felt yesterdays session was amazing to get a good feel for my car to begin with...only time i was ever passed was by a lamborghini, one m3, and my friends z06...all others i either trailed or passed...
id like to think i did fairly decent...but i prolly did crappy...my time was a 1:51 (instructor timed it with his stopwatch)...he was there practicing in his heavily modded m3 for a race next week (his times were down to 1:28)...
either way, i had a BLAST!!!
------
edit
one last item i forgot to mention...my oil temps...they went up to around 250-260...one one session it went up to 272....i figured it was high but i also noticed in that session i was shifting to 4th closer to redline...so in the other sessions i was shifting at around 5k or so and temps stayed around the 250-260 range...is this normal or should i be considered with the high temps?
Last edited by sla07; 12-11-2011 at 09:06 AM.
12-11-2011, 09:34 AM
#2
Drifting
Welcome to the hobby. There's a wealth of info on these forums about tracking corvettes, especially starting out.
Body roll: Two things will help here. The first is mechanical -- Bigger sway bars. The second is personal. The smoother your weight transfer is, the less of that you will feel. Seat time, sway bars. Pfadt makes good ones.
Brakes: Stainless Steel brake lines (I use Goodridge), dot 4 fluid (I use Motul) and better pads. Pads are a religious discussion, but I would suggest you do not go too heavy at first. If you jump to DTC70 or Carbotech XP12 right away, your modulation will suffer. It's really how you come off the brakes that matters, once you get the knack of getting to threshold correctly. So step into it with a less aggressive, but better than stock, pad. Then move up again to full track pads.
Oil temps: I have seen that the LS3 runs a bit hotter than my LS6 sometimes. If you already have an oil cooler, and don't want to add another in series, you might consider short shifting or backing off when you get real high. I know that I routinely ran 250-260 in the LS6, but I ran heavier oil too. Back when i was running 5w30, I got much higher. I don't know the effect of running 10w40 in an LS3, so I can't advise you there, nor do I think it would be good for your warranty, so you're likely stuck with short shifting and backing off when it gets high. I would also consider running a bit more oil; I ran half a quart high and still do for track days.
Lowering: Make sure you get a good alignment. Nothing crazy, but a good camber setting can really help the car corner, especially with stock bushings. Also, if you're down too far, your suspension might be compressed too much. Find a good suspension shop that does track setups and get to know them.
Body roll: Two things will help here. The first is mechanical -- Bigger sway bars. The second is personal. The smoother your weight transfer is, the less of that you will feel. Seat time, sway bars. Pfadt makes good ones.
Brakes: Stainless Steel brake lines (I use Goodridge), dot 4 fluid (I use Motul) and better pads. Pads are a religious discussion, but I would suggest you do not go too heavy at first. If you jump to DTC70 or Carbotech XP12 right away, your modulation will suffer. It's really how you come off the brakes that matters, once you get the knack of getting to threshold correctly. So step into it with a less aggressive, but better than stock, pad. Then move up again to full track pads.
Oil temps: I have seen that the LS3 runs a bit hotter than my LS6 sometimes. If you already have an oil cooler, and don't want to add another in series, you might consider short shifting or backing off when you get real high. I know that I routinely ran 250-260 in the LS6, but I ran heavier oil too. Back when i was running 5w30, I got much higher. I don't know the effect of running 10w40 in an LS3, so I can't advise you there, nor do I think it would be good for your warranty, so you're likely stuck with short shifting and backing off when it gets high. I would also consider running a bit more oil; I ran half a quart high and still do for track days.
Lowering: Make sure you get a good alignment. Nothing crazy, but a good camber setting can really help the car corner, especially with stock bushings. Also, if you're down too far, your suspension might be compressed too much. Find a good suspension shop that does track setups and get to know them.
12-11-2011, 09:41 AM
#3
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Welcome to the hobby. There's a wealth of info on these forums about tracking corvettes, especially starting out.
Body roll: Two things will help here. The first is mechanical -- Bigger sway bars. The second is personal. The smoother your weight transfer is, the less of that you will feel. Seat time, sway bars. Pfadt makes good ones.
Brakes: Stainless Steel brake lines (I use Goodridge), dot 4 fluid (I use Motul) and better pads. Pads are a religious discussion, but I would suggest you do not go too heavy at first. If you jump to DTC70 or Carbotech XP12 right away, your modulation will suffer. It's really how you come off the brakes that matters, once you get the knack of getting to threshold correctly. So step into it with a less aggressive, but better than stock, pad. Then move up again to full track pads.
Oil temps: I have seen that the LS3 runs a bit hotter than my LS6 sometimes. If you already have an oil cooler, and don't want to add another in series, you might consider short shifting or backing off when you get real high. I know that I routinely ran 250-260 in the LS6, but I ran heavier oil too. Back when i was running 5w30, I got much higher. I don't know the effect of running 10w40 in an LS3, so I can't advise you there, nor do I think it would be good for your warranty, so you're likely stuck with short shifting and backing off when it gets high. I would also consider running a bit more oil; I ran half a quart high and still do for track days.
Lowering: Make sure you get a good alignment. Nothing crazy, but a good camber setting can really help the car corner, especially with stock bushings. Also, if you're down too far, your suspension might be compressed too much. Find a good suspension shop that does track setups and get to know them.
Body roll: Two things will help here. The first is mechanical -- Bigger sway bars. The second is personal. The smoother your weight transfer is, the less of that you will feel. Seat time, sway bars. Pfadt makes good ones.
Brakes: Stainless Steel brake lines (I use Goodridge), dot 4 fluid (I use Motul) and better pads. Pads are a religious discussion, but I would suggest you do not go too heavy at first. If you jump to DTC70 or Carbotech XP12 right away, your modulation will suffer. It's really how you come off the brakes that matters, once you get the knack of getting to threshold correctly. So step into it with a less aggressive, but better than stock, pad. Then move up again to full track pads.
Oil temps: I have seen that the LS3 runs a bit hotter than my LS6 sometimes. If you already have an oil cooler, and don't want to add another in series, you might consider short shifting or backing off when you get real high. I know that I routinely ran 250-260 in the LS6, but I ran heavier oil too. Back when i was running 5w30, I got much higher. I don't know the effect of running 10w40 in an LS3, so I can't advise you there, nor do I think it would be good for your warranty, so you're likely stuck with short shifting and backing off when it gets high. I would also consider running a bit more oil; I ran half a quart high and still do for track days.
Lowering: Make sure you get a good alignment. Nothing crazy, but a good camber setting can really help the car corner, especially with stock bushings. Also, if you're down too far, your suspension might be compressed too much. Find a good suspension shop that does track setups and get to know them.
will definitely work on seat time before purchasing anything just yet, i think...although sway bars typically do make a difference in certain instances...it did when i autocrossed my old car (not a vette)...
so stainless steel brake lines, better fluid, and better pads for the track days...got it...
oil temps, i figured i would just back off if it started getting too hot...so i was keeping an eye on it and just noticed it was better when i shifted lower...so i'll deal with it that way...i didnt feel any performance difference to tell you the truth and i would assume i wouldnt, unless it was consistently running hot and even higher...
lowering, i will find a suspension shop...
i figured if there were to be any sort of mods, it would be suspension, brakes, and tires...no need for more power in this right now...
12-11-2011, 10:05 AM
#4
Le Mans Master
As I was told after my first event, "Welcome to your new addiction"
You'll find a ton of info here. After 6 events, all I've done to my car is an external oil cooler, front brake cooling ducts and track pads. I have been tempted to add other mods, or switch to R tires etc...But I will not sacrifice seat time for track mods at this early stage.
Enjoy and have a great time
You'll find a ton of info here. After 6 events, all I've done to my car is an external oil cooler, front brake cooling ducts and track pads. I have been tempted to add other mods, or switch to R tires etc...But I will not sacrifice seat time for track mods at this early stage.
Enjoy and have a great time
12-11-2011, 11:18 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
As I was told after my first event, "Welcome to your new addiction"
You'll find a ton of info here. After 6 events, all I've done to my car is an external oil cooler, front brake cooling ducts and track pads. I have been tempted to add other mods, or switch to R tires etc...But I will not sacrifice seat time for track mods at this early stage.
Enjoy and have a great time
You'll find a ton of info here. After 6 events, all I've done to my car is an external oil cooler, front brake cooling ducts and track pads. I have been tempted to add other mods, or switch to R tires etc...But I will not sacrifice seat time for track mods at this early stage.
Enjoy and have a great time
12-11-2011, 12:08 PM
#6
Team Owner
I would suggest upgrading your brake fluid but I really believe a new Corvette is more than enough car for your first year. Maybe an intermediate brake pad also.
Your car at this point is forgiving in many areas which is a good safety factor.
LEARN to drive the car first, worry about all the mods later.
Check out this link for some information LINK
Your goals at this stage should be
Learn the safety aspect, flags, corner workers etc.
Great Sportsmanship is a MUST !!
Smoothness and consistency. Hit every brake point, turn in, apex, track out etc. EVERY LAP. You will not ever truly get fast / safe, until you get this stuff down.
A 430 HP Corvette and a new driver can be a dangerous combination so give it the respect it deserves. It will do everything you tell it to do, without question, even go into a wall at 150. Understand the difference between a fast driver and a driver in a fast car.
Enjoy the sport and I can tell you from experience, you will make some of the best friends of your life because of it.
Your car at this point is forgiving in many areas which is a good safety factor.
LEARN to drive the car first, worry about all the mods later.
Check out this link for some information LINK
Your goals at this stage should be
Learn the safety aspect, flags, corner workers etc.
Great Sportsmanship is a MUST !!
Smoothness and consistency. Hit every brake point, turn in, apex, track out etc. EVERY LAP. You will not ever truly get fast / safe, until you get this stuff down.
A 430 HP Corvette and a new driver can be a dangerous combination so give it the respect it deserves. It will do everything you tell it to do, without question, even go into a wall at 150.
Understand the difference between a fast driver and a driver in a fast car.Enjoy the sport and I can tell you from experience, you will make some of the best friends of your life because of it.
Last edited by WNeal; 12-11-2011 at 12:10 PM.
12-11-2011, 12:35 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
DRM ducts and Quantum spindle kit.
12-11-2011, 12:51 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks for the info WNeal...I guess that's where I need to find the range of when is right to consider any mods...I mean at what point do you say "I think getting stickier tires will help me grip into the turns and shoot out of them"...know what I mean?...
12-11-2011, 12:53 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
They certainly wont hurt. I've had them on for the last 4 of 6 events. I still only get 4 track days max on stock front rotors before they crack. Didn't really have enough time without versus with to make an accurate determination. In addition I've used rotors from 3 different sources
DRM ducts and Quantum spindle kit.
DRM ducts and Quantum spindle kit.
12-11-2011, 01:17 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
Definitely slightly concerned with th rotors cracking as I have read somewhere on this forum about the z51 rotors cracking at track days...I looked mine over and didn't see anything wrong visually...will have to inspect further though...one thing I have to always keep in mind is that this is a daily driver for me so anything I do, I want to maintain some daily drive ability or give it a bit more safety...
12-11-2011, 04:13 PM
#11
Team Owner
The first time you go to Hoosiers etc., it will blow your mind.
12-11-2011, 05:15 PM
#13
Burning Brakes
Step away from the crack pipe! 
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
12-11-2011, 06:10 PM
#14
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Step away from the crack pipe!
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
i got it i got it...lol...didnt want to make any drastic changes..
12-11-2011, 06:21 PM
#15
Team Owner
Don't count the mods out. Just learn first, mod second.
Mine went from pristine garage queen to full blown, gutted out race car
One of my first mods was a good race seat, harness and HANs. Even a Novice in a Corvette can quickly get up to some serious speed.
Mine went from pristine garage queen to full blown, gutted out race car
One of my first mods was a good race seat, harness and HANs. Even a Novice in a Corvette can quickly get up to some serious speed.
12-11-2011, 06:38 PM
#16
Le Mans Master
Step away from the crack pipe!
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
Like Bill and others said, upgrade your brake fluid, brake lines and pads.
Get some NAPA or Centric rotors and put your Z51s in a box in your garage.
Hawk HP+ is a good step up from stock pads or you can ask Adam from Carbotech what their equivalent is.
Just like any other sport it's important to ground yourself in the fundamentals before you start making big changes to the car.
Welcome to my addiction!
Jim
Words of wisdom
12-11-2011, 07:09 PM
#17
Drifting
I concur with the others and offer the same advice. Change the brake fluid, go to a better pad and invest in seat time only for right now.
When you can CONSISTENTLY control a FOUR wheel drift at 100mph on street tires.
-Kevin
-Kevin
12-11-2011, 07:16 PM
#18
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
12-12-2011, 09:44 AM
#20
Supporting Vendor
Member Since: Oct 2002
Location: Cleveland OH
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St. Jude Donor '11,'13
I will be happy to help you. I would start with XP10 and XP8 combo, run SS lines, DOT 4 fluid and Cooling ducts. I can sell you every thing but the cooling ducts. My contact info is below.
__________________
Adam Adelstein
Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
Check out Promo code:z28
Adam Adelstein
Amp’D Autosport.com
Internet's largest retailer of Carbotech Performance Brake Pads.
PH:216-780-8825.
Email: sales@ampdautosport.com
Web Site & Direct ordering http://ampdautosport.com/
All major CC and Pay Pal accepted.
Check out Promo code:z28